Muirburning at right times found to help peat growth

Heather burning is not as damaging to peatlands as previously believed and could actually benefit the landscape, new research has found.

Scientists at the University of Liverpool analysed data from unburned moorlands, areas burned just once and places burned every ten or 20 years.

The results showed unburned areas were dominated by heather and other low-level peat-forming species, and contained less good peat-forming plants such as sphagnum mosses.

The university’s Professor Richard Chiverrell said: “Our data show only limited reduction of peat and carbon accumulation with increased burning treatments.

“Crucially, there was continued peat and carbon accumulation even in the areas that had undergone the regime of most frequent burning.”